Conveyer



13, 1.931. E. B. TOLMAN, JR 1,819,346

CONVEYER Filed Nov. 2a. 1928 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 STA ES EDGA 2B. T'OLMAN, .13.,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS GONVEYER Application filed November 23, 1928. Serial- No. 321,440.

My invention relates generally to pneumatic conveyors and has to do.,more particularly ,Wltll devicesin the nature ofsteam ejectors positioned at the discharge end of 5 a conveyer pipe line for producing a high velocity air flow 1 therethrough. The in.- take end of the conveyor pipe line is preferably connected with the ash pit of a boiler room,although,ifwdesired, it may be connected with atan kuor areceptacle v into which ashes or similar material is dumped. By placing the ejectorat the discharge end of the conveyor pipeline, the material is conveyed. from the ash.; pit, through the enthe length of the, conveye ri line by airsuction. -f1he air suction concentrates; the material in thecenter line of the,conveyer pipe ,where the velocity is; greatestand', minimizes the Wear or abrasion otherwise icausedon the pipe by contact .of, the .inaterial. f,'lh'e steam ejector comp rises, a plurality of small nozzles soarrangedasto converge andforin a, group o f steam jetsin the, line offa'ir flow andlyet be protected'fromthe abrasive contact of the:material therewith; y the use of a plurality of nozzles advant age 'is taken of the fact that a'inuchhigher entrainment is ohtained for a ,givenf amount of steam. if this psteam divided into a ,plurality bfismalljetsfinstead of being cl i s charged 51 {a} ingl i 'ie B li v di'n'g relativelyfilarge inlet, o ening" f .r isrP Ps-the maii i i i Q onveyer, conduit, large 'l i i be, conveyed. ,ovitli ithe jjahes, a

into a target box or recefjtacle,posji- .Itioned attlieidischarge en of tlie pipe, The r ei g ne i ib i, dc r b ,.,'p' 0- v rtu ally sileiit L tt e ema eee b e-ie et lrii ii agiyei ams efi and ii tieduee i a hence will have a high degree of efficiency.

or theiconf device comprising a plurality of units capa- 1 'ble of easy and separate replacement, and in which the most expensive unit takes the form *of a nozzle manifold and is so positioned as tobe protected from direct impingement and abrasion by the material conveyed.

"--*In such devices as heretofore constructed 'it has been found that the admission of an occasional relativel large body of the material to be conveyed, tends to choke or clog 5 J: .4 hroughout the env the compression tube at its restricted open- Another object of my invention is to provide improved jet means for directing ash through the conduit, which means comprise a plurality'of nozzles and permits a large saving in the amount of steam or other fluid required' A further object of my inven- 'the kind described a construction wherein the air currents are most effective as carriers of material. I also have found that "increased *efliciency may be obtained by "tapering the nozzles so as to permit the fluid "to expan d While passing therethrough and by directing the fluid jets through a relstricte'd tube of the V enturi type hereafter referred to as a compression tube.

-The invention is particularly adapted to --con vey abrasive material such as ashes and it is an object of the invention to provide a ing and still another object of the invention is to provide a cc :iveyer so constructed as to minimize clogging or chcking.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the description herein given. To this end my invention consists in the novel constructlon, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of the specification and illustrating certain preferred embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a compression tube embodying my invention, certain parts of the associated conduit being shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing diagrammatically a system of tanks and a conduit in which the device of my invention is positioned.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the numerals 10 and 10 indicate'sections of a tubular conduit for conveying finely divided solid material. Interposed between the sections 10 and 10' of the tubular conduit is a compression tube 11. Gaskets 9 are positioned between the conduit sections 10 and 10' and the compression tube 11. The tube lland an annular manifold member 12 together form an ejector device generally designated by the numeral 13. The compression tube 11 takes the general form of a Venturi tube having its restricted portion 14 sufficiently small to produce the necessary neumatic pressure to induce a flow 0 air through the conduit of which the sections 10 and 10 form a part, whereby material such as ashes or the like is conveyed through the conduit and is lar e enough to rmit the maximum sizes oft e particles o ashes, cinders, etc., to travel therethrough without clogging.

The compression tube 11 of the ejector device 13 is secured to the annular manifold member 12 by means of the bolts 15, this manifold member being disposed between a.

flan 16 of the tube and a flange 17 of the con uit 10. The entire nozzle manifold member 12 lies outside of the inner periphe of the conduit section 10 and thus is withdrawn from the path of travel of the material and is not subject to abrasive action by the material conveyed. A tubular member 18 communicates with the manifoldmember 12, being screw threaded to connect with an aperture 19 formed therein, or connected by other suitable means. Formed in the annular manifold member 12 is a plu rality of nozzles 20. It will be seen that the nozzles 20 expand in internal diameter from thef iiianifold member toward the compres- "eion tul e ll and that these nozzles converge toward'it he center of the tube and also are so disposedas to discharge in the general di- .The nozzles 31 are formed in lugs 32 fprorection of the flow of material within the conveyer. It will also be seen that an annular shelf 21 is formed between the nozzles 20 and the inner wall 22 of the manifold member and that the nozzles are disposed substantially flush with the bore of the conduit 10.

In operation, ashes, cinders, or other relatively finely divided material are drawn from ash its or receptacles 23 into the conduit 10 through openings 24. The size of the openings 24 is so limited as to prevent material from entering the conduit 10 which could not readily pass the restricted portion 14 of the tube 11, and thereby the probability of clogging of the conveyed material is eliminated.

The high air velocity and suction in the conveyer pipe line or conduit is caused by the discharge of steam from the tubular member 18 into the manifold 12 and its escape through the nozzles 20. The escaping steam takes the form of a plurality of 'ets converging on the axial line of the con uit section 14. The convergin jets cause air to travel at a high velocity rom the conduit section 10 to the section 10 on the general principles governing the operation of ejector devices. I have found that pneumatic pressure is greatly increased and a higher efiiciency is obtained by usinga plurality of nozzles 20 instead of a single nozzle, provided these nozzles are so arranged as to deliver inwardly directed steam jets converging on the axial line of the restricted portion 14. p

By spacing the nozzles 20 away from the side walls of the tube 11 by means of the shelf 21, the nozzles are substantially selfcleansing, inasmuch as eddies of air are set up, on all sides thereof making it practically impossible forthe material flowing throingh the nozzle to abrade and injure the surfaces of thenozzles. y Referring now to the embodiment of Figs. 3 amid, the numeral 26 represents a section:

of a'tubular. conduit substantially similar to the conduit .10. Interposed between-two sectionsof the conduit 26, only one ofwhich is shown,- is a compression tube 27 s ubstan tially similar to the. com ression tube-"11; Secured to the inlet end 0 the compression tube 27 is an annular manifold member 28 into an annular orifice 29 of which isthreadeda tubular member-BO. The manifold member 28 is substantially similar to the manifold member. 12, the orifice 29 therein communicating with the interior of the tube 27 by means of nozzles 31, these nozzles beof the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

jecting inwardly from the side walls 0 the manifold member. An annular member 34 is positioned between the conduit 26 and the manifold member 28. The annular mem.

ing substantially similar'to the nozzles 20 f her 34 expands outwardly in the direction of the manifold member 28. The forward end of the member 34 and the main body of the member 20' have their inner peripheries substantially coincident and of larger diameter than the inner periphery of the conduit 26. Gaskets 3:") are. suitably positioned between the annular men'iliers 28 and 34 and also between .the members 23 and 34 and the compression tube and the tubular conduit 26 respectively. Bolts 36 are provided to fasten the annular membta's 2S and 38 together and to the compression tube 27.

A plurality of tapered lugs 33 are formed on the inner face of the member 34 in alignment with the lugs 32 in which the nozzles 31 are located. The lugs 32 and 34 project inwardly so that their inner edges are in the line of travel of the material discharged from the conduit 26. The lugs 32 and 33 have a curvedperiphery preferably taking the form of a cylinder. This construction offers a minimum of interference to the passage of air and material and permits the maximum entraining ell'ect of the air as it passes the nozzles 31 as well as avoiding abrasive contact of the conveyed material with either of the members 28 or 34. The shape of the member 34 is such as to form a guard protecting the lugs 32 on which 'are disposed the nozzles 31.

In the operation of the device shown in Figs, 3 and l, the material fed into the tubular conduit 26 lows past the sides of the lugs and also past the sides of the lugs 32 in which are disposed the nozzles 31. It will be seen that the nozzles 31 by reason of-their being spaced inwardly from the side walls of the manifold member 28 are enabled to entrain air on substantially all sides' thereof and thus not only is the flow of material through the eonveyer facilitated but it is made impossible for material passing through the device to impinge on the nozzles and abrade them.

The outlet end of the annular member and the inlet end of .the compression tube 27 preferably have the same diameter as the manifold member 28, thereby forming an expanded chamber in which the lugs 32 and 33 are positioned without. restricting the discharge area.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a

manifold. member having a plurality of nozzles projecting from the side walls thereof so that a current of material may flow past said nozzles on a plurality of sides thereof, said nozzles expanding'in diameter, and a tubular member associated with said manifold member, said tubular member having a restricted bore into which said nozzles discharge.

2. A conveying conduit of the kind described, one, section of said conduit having a constricted bore intermediate its inlet and outlet ends, a second section of the conduit positioned adjacent the inlet end of said constricted section and having an enlarged bore, a plurality of longitudinally extending lugs mounted on the inner face of said enlarged bore section and a nozzle mounted on the forward end of each of said lugs, said nozzles being directed towards the longitudinal axis of the constricted bore section.

3. In combination, a conveying conduit having a restricted bore section, a manifold member having a plurality of converging nozzles projecting inwardly of the walls of said member, said nozzles expanding in diameter and so directed as to discharge into said restricted bore section.

4. In combination, a' conveying conduit having a restricted bore section, a manifold member having a plurality of lugs projecting inwardly from the side walls thereof so that a current of material may flow past said lugs on a plurality of sides thereof, a plurality of nozzles mounted one on each of said lugs and directed to discharge along the axial line of said restricted bore section.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed by name.

EDGAR B. TOLMAN, JR. 

